The Denny’s Waiter
The Denny’s Waiter taught me something, or rather reminded me that happiness is a conscious choice.
My friend and I were at Denny’s in late 2022 and in customary tradition, we opted for pancakes; basic pancakes with syrup and butter. Nothing beats pancakes, especially from Denny’s. Although the ones I make are… not going to lie… pretty dope.
I asked The Denny’s Waiter about his astrology signs. It’s something I am doing more often where I would try to guess their vibe; it’s a great conversation starter, way better than asking about their opinion on today’s weather.
Afterwards, we chatted for a bit. The Waiter has been serving at Denny’s for nearly 20 years but more so, I was moved by his enthusiasm for life. He said “I’m just happy to be alive”. Such a humble moment of truth.
I paused and asked myself, what was my excuse?
The Denny’s Waiter taught me something, or rather reminded me that happiness is a conscious choice. He had every available excuse to complain, but opted not to. He saw the good and was in sync with the universe.
As Carl Jung says, a quote I often have to remind myself of, “modern man can’t see God because he doesn’t look low enough”.
Our egos often look to the mountains to see if we can find happiness, as if epic heights would elevate our spirit but more often than not, the answer is beneath our noses… in places you least expect… like a heroically happy waiter at a local Denny’s.
Word count: 241
Twitter: @bhavprajapati
